GPs voice concerns for discretionary medical card holders

The Health Minister James Reilly is to approach the Irish Medical Organisation in an effort to arrange talks on the free GP scheme for the under 6's.

Cabinet signed off on the plans at its weekly meeting this morning and it hopes the scheme will be introduced by the middle of this year.

However, doctors say its bad for patients and will limit access to same-day appointments.

Dr Darach O’Ciardha, who is with the Irish College of General Practitioners, said: "We do have concerns about he implications for equity of access to care that people need, particularly for those that we've heard about before in terms of discretionary medical cards being lost and the over 70s being targeted as well as well."